In the kitchen area, appliances are installed either as upright units or, more widely, as built-in units. Appliances which are built in require extensive modifications to the wooden carcass and facings with front panels which match the other kitchen units. Furthermore, wood is sensitive to dampness and the effects of heat. As the appliances come in different heights which do not match the units of height used by the kitchen unit manufacturer, it is necessary to resort to extensive modifications involving the use of filler units. This makes installation very expensive.
The appliances, which often have been produced by different manufacturers, have different shapes, controls, dimensions and functions. Every appliance has its own power supply and different power consumption. Installation must be carried out by a specialist electrician. These electrical appliances are generally not stackable for static reasons. Moreover, the side and back panels do not have the same finish as the front panels so that it is undesirable to have them freely exposed to view. Since every built-in appliance must be harmonized with the kitchen units, planning and measuring up requires a lot of effort and the possibility of errors occurring which could be the cause of complaints is by no means small.
The provision of external panels for appliances and the modifications to the wooden carcass which are also necessary have the effect of doubling the cost of installation as well as resulting in a loss of space. This applies also to the doors, which often have to be constructed as double doors consisting of the appliance front in combination with a kitchen unit front panel. An additional loss of usable space results from the unfavorable arrangement of the individual elements within the control panel, as is the case, for example, in ovens.
When the control elements are inside, appliances are difficult to handle and it is almost impossible to monitor the functioning of the equipment. An example of this is a fully built-in dishwasher.
In the event that a family moves house and wishes to re-locate their appliances, new housing units are necessary to adapt to the new kitchen layout, resulting in additional costs. Upright units and built-in appliances cannot satisfy the increasing requirement for mobility, both with regard to moving home and also within the same home. Current systems and especially appliance systems are not flexible enough.